Boris the Bewildered
by Mourning Peaches
Summary: The day of DADA OWL exam Lily was sure that her hatred James couldnt go any further That evening her whole view of him crumbled and believe it or not it was the lostlooking Boris that was there to comfort her As much a statue can comfort anyway


**AN - **Another one shot featuring the darling Marauders! I hope you enjoy it! I've got another two planned, though one is about the DA, and the other is poor Remus' story just before Lily and James get blasted to smithereens! How lovely! Thanks again Beccaroonie!

Oh, I will updated Fairy Mother at some point.

**Disclaimer - **I own nothing, nadder, naught, zilch!

**Summary **- The morning of the DADA OWL exam, Lily Evans became sure that her hatred James Potter couldn't go any further. That very evening, her whole view of him crumbled, and believe it or not, it was the lost-looking Boris that was there to comfort her. As much as a statue can comfort someone of course.

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Boris the Bewildered **

_By Nestlé_

The torches spluttered to life as she passed them, flaming for only a few seconds before once again darkening. They gave the appearance that she was moving in a sphere of soft, warm light that stayed only momentarily to light the gloomy passages of the Fifth Floor corridor. Anyone else looking upon the girl, would have had to pause and take a moment to register the eerie beauty of the scene: the girl, surrounded by shadows, yet glowing brightly within her sphere of magical candlelight, which only enhanced her red hair, dark from moisture.

The girl herself did not notice. Six years was long enough for even a Muggle-born like her to take for granted most of magical quirks of the castle; self lighting torches were nothing anymore, the spells she could produce were much more interesting now.

She walked consciously, all too aware that she was technically breaking the rules – even if it was just for a bath. She had gone to the Prefect's bathroom well before the curfew, intending to only have a short soak, just to relax her, yet instead she had spent hours glaring up at the ceiling, irritably going over the day's events as the water slowly grew cold and all of the bubbles –even the extra long lasting, lavender scented ones- subsided into the water.

Though she'd had her last OWL exam earlier that morning, and she was notorious for panicking, convincing herself that she had failed, and then doing exceedingly well when the results came out, it was not the Defence Against the Dark Arts Exam she was contemplating. It was, in fact, something that happened almost directly after it.

She'd disliked James Potter since the very first time she saw him. He was smug and overconfident, and on her first day she had been extra sensitive to that – considering that she knew next to nothing about Hogwarts and magic, whereas he had eleven years knowledge already. Over the years, the dislike had turned to hatred as she witnessed his pranks on other students and teachers, and the arrogant way he excelled in every subject.

Sometime during fourth year, she could bear it no longer, and enthusiastically let her opinions of him be known. He did not, it seemed, take her complete and utter hatred of him as a turn off, exactly the opposite in fact. From that moment on, hatred became loathing, and today, that loathing had reached heights she had previously thought couldn't exist.

She knew every part of his personality – and despised it all. He was cocky, selfish, cruel, intelligent, talented, and all too aware of it. As for his friends, well Sirius Black was just as bad, though he was ever so slightly lower than Potter in the "_Scale of Hatred_" since he didn't ask her out repeatedly, in a whole manner of different ways, each as horrible as the next. Remus Lupin however, was a prefect, and responsible in all things except his friends. She didn't expect anything better from Potter and Black, yet Lupin, he could do much better, but chose not to. For Peter Pettigrew she felt a mixture of pity and annoyance – he tagged along after them, practically worshipping Potter's feet, and didn't seem to realise they forced him into doing things he shouldn't.

This, and many other things (including everything else she could have said in reply to James Potter earlier that day) were the thoughts that had been furiously rushing through her mind while she was in the bath. Relaxing it had meant to be! She was tenser now than ever.

Clenching her fists, she whispered for the ten thousandth time, "_I hate James Potter!" _Almost as if her thoughts had been read, his voice floated out along the corridor. Instinctively, she jumped behind the nearest statue, which happened to be Boris the Bewildered, and flattened her body against the wall.

"I know it's been years! If you don't remember, I was the one next to you, _also_ pouring over books!" He was agitated, and she could just imagine him running his hand through his hair – her eyes narrowed at the thought.

"Then why are you trying to put it off!" Sirius Black's voice, equally annoyed, yet a lot louder replied.

"Be quiet would you? There might still be people out." The small voice of Peter Pettigrew finally spoke up, only to be followed by a snort and a bark like laugh.

"Oh don't be stupid, the only thing on this floor is the prefects bathroom, and they're not going to be wandering around after hours, are they?"

The fact that she had proved Black wrong about something, even if he didn't actually know it, caused a small amount of joy in her heart, and she grinned and moved so she was leaning against Boris the Bewildered's back. "Looks like he doesn't know as much he thinks he does, eh Boris?" She whispered.

After a few seconds of silence except for the shuffling of feet, in which she guessed one of them was pacing the floor, and from the sound of Potter's voice, it was him.

"I'm not putting it off." He sighed heavily, "I just think we shouldn't rush into it, if something went wrong. If-"

"James, we can't eliminate all the things that could go wrong. That's part of the risk."

"I know that! I want to be as sure as possible is all."

"We are as ready now as we will ever be." Black quoted.

"No, you are. I'm not so sure."

She blinked, and stared at the gloved hands of Boris the Bewildered, Potter unsure of himself? Surely that was impossible!

"I don't think I'm ready." Potter said, without a trace of embarrassment.

"Well, I'll be damned." She breathed, before noticing that Boris' gloves were on the wrong hands, and that he had a thoroughly lost look about him. "Guess you're just as flabbergasted as me, though I doubt it's so bad you had to lose all sense."

It registered on her mind for only a second that she was, in fact, hiding behind a statue (of which she was talking to) and listening to her enemies' conversation. The thought was quickly pushed away however. Why shouldn't she be spying on the meeting for James Potter's latest prank? Of which he was getting far too worked up about. And what better way to pass the time than criticise poor Boris' attire?

"I mean really," She whispered, "It's quite obvious that the right glove goes on the right hand." Suppressing a giggle at the absurdity of the situation, she listened once again to Potter's conversation. He was, it seemed, still having a stress about this newly planned prank.

"Peter, listen to me, this isn't just some prank-"

She bit her lip, "Ok, maybe not."

"-don't let us push you into something. If you're not ready, then tell us. I seriously don't think I am, we have to be sure."

She could barely contain her amazement. Not only was Potter unsure of himself, but he had admitted it, and now he was giving Peter a choice! She wondered what the boy would do, having finally been given the chance to make a decision for himself. A period of stillness, before-

"Uh…."

She rolled her eyes, "Well, that should have been obvious."

"Are you ready?" Black persisted.

"No. But I do want to do this for Remus – to help him." Peter's quiet voice proclaiming these words suddenly took all humour out of the situation.

She knew that there was something seriously wrong with Remus Lupin, and even though she found it hard to forgive him for his complete lack in prefect skills, she had to pity him for his… illness. Pale and sickly most of the time, disappearing every month it seemed, she knew it was bad, whatever it was.

This wasn't some prank they were planning, it was a way to help him – and they'd be studying years for it, she didn't doubt their determination. She despised them for their cruel pranks, yet had to envy their friendship. They were so close: brothers.

Suddenly, her rock solid vision of Potter's personality crumbled. She had seen him be cruel, yet here he was, considerate, kind. He was supposed to be arrogant and cocky! But now he was hesitant. Her rational mind only allowed her a few moments of anger, before disbanding, and leaving in place nothing but uncertainty and the first tinges of hunger.

"I haven't eaten in hours." She mumbled. Bewilderment reined her senses, and for the first time she felt like she was in the correct place: right next to Boris.

She silently edged away from the door, wincing at the slightest noise – which was mainly her rumbling stomach. At a safe distance, she paused only to salute Boris the Bewildered one last time, before turning on her heel and running back towards Gryffindor Tower, and the pile of chocolate frogs hidden under her mattress, reserved for occasions just like this.

Loathing had successfully turned into confusion, and the next day, Lily Evans was reported to have held a civil conversation with James Potter, and even though it was a total of seven words long, there was time yet.

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**AN **- So, what do you think? Please tell me. Ooh! I've just had an idea! What if I did companion pieces, where statues of Hogwarts affect couples of Hogwarts. It doesn't sound very good when I explain it like that. Though, I'm sure I could get it to work. Should I do that? Review!  



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